We hope you had a lovely Easter and are safely enjoying the weather.
This week, since the weather has been so lovely, we've thought about sharing some gardening tips, from our wonderful gardener, Breda; so roll up the sleeves, put your green fingers to work and enjoy!
- Roses - if you have not already done so, you can prune your roses now. Cut shoots/stems back to about 200/250mm (8-10 inches). 🌹
- If you can get your hands on a packet of salad leaves’ seed - use a window box or any planting container. Sow seed as per instructions. Sow other pots every 3-4 weeks to have a continuous supply. One packet of seed should do a few sowings. These are great for picking as you need and they’re really fresh! You will not need to buy any lettuce over the summer. 🥬
- Between April and May is the time to sow sunflower seeds (you can find them in most supermarkets) and they are very easy and fun to get the kids involved. To plant them, space seeds about 6 inches apart in a shallow trench between 1 and 2 inches deep. Cover and keep watered until seeds sprout in 7 to 10 days. When first true leaves appear (the second set of leaves); thin plants to about 2 feet apart. You can also sow a new row every 2 to 3 weeks to enjoy continuous blooms until the first frost. 🌻
- Late summer/autumn flowering shrubs which flower on the tips of shoots that grew earlier the same season eg. buddleia, can be cut back now to encourage fresh growth which will flower later this year. 🌸
- A freshly edged lawn really improves the appearance of your garden. A straight edge can be kept straight by using a length of timber and cutting along it. Curved edges can be defined by using a flexible rope as a guide. Check the appearance of this line by viewing it from an upstairs window if possible. 🏡
- Try and get on top of weeds in your beds now by hand weeding if possible. Be careful of herbaceous plants or bulbs which may have started growing. Check the beds first and mark where these plants are before starting. 🌱
If you have any gardening questions, send us a message and we’ll try to cover in a future email.
Take care and stay safe,
Headfort Team
